The Bible in Character Building

While the Bible story may be left to make its own impression without too definitely drawing a moral, the mother may wish a selection of stories which bear upon some definite virtue or defect of character. Even though the moral is not pointed out, even if she does not say severely, "This story teaches the sad fate of bad boys," the meaning of the story will go home with all the more force because it is not pounded into the consciousness.

First of all, it should be borne in mind that all the stories of the Bible tell of men and nations under the guidance and direction and discipline of God. God was the familiar friend of the Hebrew people. Enoch walked with God. Saul felt that God had deserted him. Jesus said, "If ye have seen me, ye have seen the Father." All Bible stories teach the child about God because God is present in them all. The child will come to realize through these stories that God is our Father, that we are the sons of God, that he is near to all his children in all ages.

For the structure that we raise,
Time is with materials filled;
Our to-days and yesterdays

Are the blocks with which we build.

Truly shape and fashion these;

Leave no yawning gaps between;

Think not, because no man sees,

Such things will remain unseen.

In the elder days of Art,

Builders wrought with greatest care

Each minute and unseen part;

For the Gods see everywhere

Let us do our work as well,

Both the unseen and the seen; Make the house, where Gods may dwell, Beautiful, entire, and clean.

Else our lives are incomplete,

Standing in these walls of Time,

Broken stairways, where the feet
Stumble as they seek to climb.

Build to-day, then, strong and sure,
With a firm and ample base;

And ascending and secure

Shall to-morrow find its place.

Thus alone can we attain

To those turrets, where the eye
Sees the world as one vast plain,
And one boundless reach of sky.

-Henry W. Longfellow

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HE Bible is recognized as the great source-book of character. The parent is often, however, perplexed in the attempt to apply its precepts and its lessons to the life of the child. If the habit of the daily reading of the Bible is established, the problem is much simplified; then the selection may be chosen to fit some crisis or emergency, or to inculcate some desired lesson without apparent intention. It is far more effective also to build up character to meet temptations and difficulties than to wait until they come, and then attempt to apply a remedy. It is better to put on the whole armor of God at once than to take the child to the hospital to repair some moral injury after it has been overtaken in a fault.

The following suggestions from The Book of Life are made to help the parent to choose such passages as may be helpful for the purpose of constructive character building as well as to overcome specific faults at the moment.

The stories in the first volume have been chosen with special reference to the building of character. Every parent knows how difficult it is to answer many of the great questions which the child repeatedly asks-questions which go down deep into the moral structure of the universe. The parent feels very helpless at such times and then realizes how extremely important such questions are and how unfortunate it is merely to give a negative answer. How can we know God? How does God speak to us? Who was Jesus? What did he teach? These and many other questions constantly occur to a child. These questions, the stories of the first volume attempt to answer, and answer in the most effective way, by the story method. They tell in the child's own language how we may know God; how he speaks to us; how he loves us; and how the love grows for the mother and father, brother and sister. They tell of the great gifts of God — water, food, our home, our friends, our church, and the greatest gift of all Our Master.

In the "Child's Life of Jesus" the incidents are given in a way which most appeals to the child; which arouses his interest; which leads him to wish to build his life along the same lines. These stories should be read over and over, not so much with the intent of teaching a specific lesson as to make the child thoroughly familiar with the character and with the teaching of him who lived the supreme life -the Saviour of humanity.

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In the first volume also, the fundamental virtues of obedience, reverence, consideration for others and love of God are taught. Special prayers are suggested for little children.

The use of Biblical material to illustrate the qualities of character is of two kinds:

(a) Direct teaching stories, individual proverbs or sayings, short passages from various parts of the Bible.

(b) Indirect teaching - incident and story.

Some books were formerly classed as "life illustrated." The Bible characters are "life illustrated." These make some of the best and most effective illustrations of character. In the life of such a man as Paul lies a statement of a whole group of characteristics. He was persevering; considerate of others; courteous; loyal to the truth; devoted to the Master; splendidly heroic. The full value of his life is not found in this incident or that, so much as in the broad sweep of his character and achievement. If the great characters of the Bible become familiar to the child he will unconsciously begin to imitate them and the noble qualities of their lives will be unconsciously assimilated.

FOUNDATIONS OF CHARACTER

Every child should be taught

1. The Ten Commandments; see 2:228.

These commandments are never out-dated; never superseded. Every little while in our modern life we have to get back to the fundamentals. Some strong leader has to insist that stealing is stealing, lying is lying, and theft is theft. There is not much use to try to build character without this foundation. These are the great building stones sunk deep in the soil of the centuries, upon which the structure of life must be built.

2. The Beatitudes and the Golden Rule; see 6:76; 6:87.

These are the great "Yes" of Jesus as the Commandments were the "No" of the Old Testament. They are the fulfillment of the law. These the child should know early and learn to practice.

THE BIBL

Twenty-third Psalm; see 5:46.

ery child should learn by heart the Twenty-third salm for its beauty and for its comfort.

The Lord's Prayer; see 1:53; 6:83.

The child may learn and may use other prayers, but he should early learn and daily repeat the great universal prayer of humanity.

CHARACTER-BUILDING STORIES

So true to human life and character are the Bible stories that nearly every one illustrates not a single trait of character but many, for so it is in actual experience: one quality merges imperceptibly into another; a single act is often a cross-section of a complete character. Any classification, therefore, of Bible stories according to their central teaching must be imperfect. The following suggestions may, however, be helpful to the observant parent or teacher who sees certain tendencies in the child and wishes to encourage or discourage these.

Besides the stories which emphasize certain characteristics, passages containing definite truths are also given. These will be useful for memorizing or occasional reading.